Device for transvbersely folding laundry pieces



E. JENSEN 3,116,059

DEVICE FOR TRANSVERSELY FOLDING LAUNDRY PIECES Dec. 31, 1963 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 26, 1962 Inventor {if/70r- Jcnsen Dec. 31,1963 JENSEN 3,116,059

DEVICE FOR TRANSVERSELY FOLDING LAUNDRY PIECES Filed Feb. 26, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Jim en zor:

Dec. 31, 1963 E. JENSEN Filed Feb. 26, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1:; 1 392./35 liq 039' H ,15a 0 39 W l V/ I V/A l V II I: I Q 7 ML: 111111111 4/,45 43 2a .7; 2a

'zrar .73 are Dec. 31, 1963 E. JENSEN 3,116,059

DEVICE FOR TRANSVERSELY FOLDING LAUNDRY PIECES Filed Feb. 26, 1962 4Sheets-Sheet 4 In en for "i cc i Edihfi Patented Dec. 31, 1963 3,ll,i59DEVK'CE FOR TRANSVERSELY FOLDWG LAUNDRY PIECES Ejuar lens/en, Roxane,Denmark, assignor to Ejnar .l'ensen og $021 1/5, Etienne, Denmark FiledFeb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,7tl8 Qlaims priority, application GermanyNov. 2, 1961 (5 Claims. (@l. Nil- 58) The present invention relates toan apparatus for transversely folding laundry pieces behind laundrycalenders and the like.

It is known to provide folding apparatuses of the above mentioned typewith conveyors arranged above a folding table and with clamping platesfor grasping and holding the front edge of the respective laundry pieceand additionally to provide control means which are actuated by thelaundry piece and which control the clamping and release movement of theclamping plates. it is also known to provide photoelectric cells whichin turn influence the control of the clamping plates while the clampingplates are actuated by electric or pneumatic or iydraulic means.

All of these devices have the drawback that a precise adjustment of thelight source with regard to the photoelectric cell is rather difficult.The light source is in most instances arranged below the folding table,whereas the photoelectric cell is adjustable above the folding table inthe longitudinal direction thereof. W ien setting the a paratus, it isnecessary very precisely to adjust the photoelectric cells with regardto the light source because otherwise no proper switching on andswitching off of the current will be effected. It is thus necessary toadjust two parts individually in the longitudinal direction of thefolding table, namely the light source as well as the photoelectriccell. This means that for the release of the clamping plates from theirclamping position into the downwardly folded position and for theadjustment of the clamping plates from the downwardly folded positioninto clamping position, a second control means in the form of a lightsounce and photoelectric cell is required which light source andphotoelectric cell have to be adjusted individually in the longitudinaldirection of the folding table. Devices of this type are ratherc-urnbersome and very difficult to operate.

it is, therefore, an object of the present invention to pro vide anapparatus of the above mentioned type which operates with photoelectriccells and light sources, and in which the precise adjustment of thecontrols in conformity with the conveyor speed of the folding table canbe effected by a simple adjustment of the light source and photoelectriccell, uniformly for all clamping plates arranged in series in a row.

it is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus as setforth in the preceding paragraph in which by control means in the formof light source and photoelectric cells a preselection will be possiblein such a way that for svitch-ing on and switching off of two adjacentclamping plates, or of three adjacent clamping plates, or of clampingplates aranged in pairs, the simultaneous final switching on of therelays for actuation of the clamping plates is brought about.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates a view partially in section of afolding apparatus according to the present invention with a plurality offolding bridges which carry the folding mechanism and are arranged abovethe conveyor equipped folding table.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically illustrates a top view of a folding bridge witha plurality of clamping plates arranged adjacent to each other whilepreselector units are provided between the clamping plates.

PEG. 3 illustrates on a larger scale, partially in section, the foldingbridge, the control units and the photoelectric control of the relaywhile the clamping plate is folded downwardly.

FIG. 4 shows the position of the apparatus after the laundry piece hasbeen moved over the light beam of the first control unit so that thelight beam is interrupted.

PEG. 5 shows the apparatus according to the invention in a positionaccording to which the laundry piece has been placed upon the clampingplate and after the light beam for the second photoelectric cell of thesecond control unit has been interrupted.

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross section of a control unit equipped with alight source and photoelectric cell.

PEG. 8 illustrates by way of example a control circuit for controllingthe control units while employing preselector units.

General Arrangement The apparatus according to the present invention ischaracterized primarily in that the photoelectric cell and the lightsource of each control unit are arranged in a single housing comprisinga transparent mirror and lenses and that the control unit housings arearranged underneath the folding table between the conveyor belts,whereas above the table, which is provided with passages for the lightbeam, there are provided reflector plates, for instance mirrors, whichare arranged alongside the feeding direction.

According to a further feature of the invention, the control unithousings arranged below the folding table are adjustable and arrestablein the feeding direction. Furthermore, the control units arranged inhousings below the clamping plates are adjustable individually in thelongitudinal direction of the folding table for releasing all clampingplates arranged adjacent to each other.

A still further feature of the invention consists in that between eachtwo control units arranged below the clamping plates, preferably infront of said control units when looking in feeding direction, there isprovided a photoelectric control unit serving as preselector, by meansof w h a photoelectric cell controlling a clamping plate is connectedwith a current supply line which behind the relay pertaining theretoleads to the respective directly adjacent photoelectric cell controllinga clamping plate. These so-called preselectors or key heads make itpossible so to adjust the clamping plates that for instance two bedsheets of identical size, a narrow laundry as for instance a towel,together with a particularly wide laundry piece, especially bed sheet,or als three narrow laundry pieces of approximately the same width, asfor instance towels, can be folded adjacent to each other. A furtherfeature of the present invention consists in the supply of air betweenthe laundry pieces folded upon each other in order to space the samefrom each other by means of an air cushion.

Structural A rrangem ent Referring now to the drawings in detail, theapparatus shown therein comprises a calender iii behind which there isarranged a folding table 11 having mounted thereabove endless conveyorbelts 12 for conveying the laundry pieces to be folded. The foldingtable 11 is advantageously adjustable so as to be able to occupy variousinclined positions.

The laundry pieces 16 discharged from the calender it move onto theconveyor belts 12 and are folded on the same. To this end, above thefolding table 11 and spaced in transverse direction over the foldingtable there is provided a plurality of advantageously box-shaped bridges13 which carry the folding mechanism. Expediently, these bridges 13 areadjustable in the longitudinal direction of the folding table.

Below the bridge 13 there is provided in adjacent arrannement aplurality of clamping plates 15 which are tiltable about bolts 14 andthe front edges 15a of which the feeding direction of the laundry piece16. The bridge box is furthermore provided with a plurality ofabutmen'is 17 for the clamping plates 15 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and theabutments 17 preferably consisting of elastic material, as for instancerubber.

The clamping plates are by means of their arm 13 and bolt 21 pivotallyconnected to the piston rod w of a luid pressure cylinder 2% Alongitudinal adjustment of the piston rod 19 may be effected by acounter nut The piston 23 of the pressure fluid cylinder 29 iscontinuously acted upon by a spring 2 The pre sure fluid cylinder 29 istiltable about a bolt of a bearing for the folding bridge 13. Theactuation of piston 23 by means of compressed air is controlled by amagnetic valve 26 of any standard design. Pressure fluid cylinder 26%and magnetic valve 26 are arranged preferably coaxially with regard toeach other. The adjustment of the magnetic valve 26 is effected by arelay 27 which in its turn is controlled by a control unit comprising aphotoelectric cell and a light source. To this end, the photoelectriccell 29 and a light source 30 (FIG. 7) are arranged in a housing 28below the folding table 11. The light source 30 emanates its light beamsthrough a lens 3 1 to a transparent mirror 32. By means of a furtherlens 33 in the direction 34 the light beams are passed to a reflectorplate 35 (FIG. 3) arranged above the folding table 11. From saidreflector plate 35, for instance a mirror, the light beams, as indicatedin FIG. 7 by the arrow 3;", are passed through the transparent mirror 32and through a lens 37 to the photoelectric cell 2?. Preferably, lens 37is provided with a red filter.

The light source 30, for instance an incandescent lamp, is mounted on asocket plate 38 which is likewise adjustable. The table is provided withopenings 39 for the passage of the light beams 34 and for the reflectedbeams 36.

While the control unit arranged in housing 28 and comprising the lightsource, photoelectric cell and lens is arranged ahead of the clampingplate 15, a similar unit arranged in housing 23a is arranged below theclamping plate 15 and the table opening 39 pertaining thereto.

In addition thereto, the clamping plate 15 has passages in the form ofslots 4% for the light beam emanated from the light source. Above theseslots 4i there is provided a renector plate 41 in the folding bridge 13.

The clamping plate 15 may by two superimposed plates 15!; be designed ashollow body so that it will be torsion resistant.

The control unit in housing 2:; serves for turning oft relay 27. Inother words, as long as the light beams 3b are not interrupted,photoelectric cell 29 of the control unit 28 turns oil the circuit forrelay 27. As a result thereof, when the magnetic valve 26 is closed,spring 24 tilts the clamping plate 15 downwardly.

The photoelectric cells of each control unit are through amplifiers,transformers and possibly transistors connected to relay 27 which in itsturn actuates the magnetic valve 2s. As long as no laundry pieces areMoved, the circuit for the relay 27 is interrupted (FEGS. 3 and 4) by acontrol unit in housing 2811, which control unit comprises tie lightsource emanating the light beam 34- and also comprises the photoelectriccell 29 and lenses and the light beam emanated by cell 29 onto thereflector mirror 41. When the laundry piece 16 has been movedsufficiently far on the clamping plate 15, due to the interruption ofthe light beam 34 for the photoelectric cell 29 of control unit 23, thecircuit for relay 2'] will partly closed. However, at this time thecircuit or relay 2-7 is still interrupted by the second control unitOnly when the laundr picc een moved fur her on clamp ng plate 15, asillustrated in FIG. 4, the light beam of the photoelectric cell of thesecond control unit is interrupted whereby the control circuit for rela27 is completely closed. As a result thereof, r netic valve 26 is openedby relay 2/7, and compressed arr acts upon piston so that, asillustrated in FIG. 5, the laundry A iece i6 is now clamped in andduring the further advance by the conveyor belt 12, will be folded.

Ahead of clamping plate 35 between the conveyor belts 12 there areprovided inclined wires 42 by means of which the advanced laundry piecesare lifted. makes it possible to convey the thus lifted laundry pieces 6to the dos /inwardly folded clamping plates 1 The ing plates have theirfront edges 15a. in ti; ir lower tion arranged at a dis ance above theconveyor belts the fold .c table Ill, w ch distance corresponds in or toat least the thickness of the laundry piece to be folded. The frontedges 42a of the wires 42 are located approximately at the height of thefront edges 1&1 of the clamping plates and are arranged ahead of thefront edges 15a of the clamping plates at a distance correspondingapproximately to the thickness of the respective laundry piece.

The control units res ectivel associated with each of the clampingplates 15 and arranged in housing 23 are mounted on a transverse beam aswhich is locate below the folding table ill. and is displaceable,adjustable and arrestable in the longitudinal direction of the foldingtable 11. The arresting or locking may be eilected on side beams of thefolding table ll by means of set screws engaging slots 46.

Also the control units in housings 2311 which likewise comprise lightsources, transparent mirrors, lenses and photoelectric cells, areadjustable in longitudinal direction of the folding table ll. The saidcontrol units in housings are mounted on a transverse beam 2-7 which isdisplaceable and arrestable in the longitudinal direction of the table.To this end, the said control units engage guiding pipes 49 by means ofsupporting bolts 48. By means of set screws 5t} it is also possibleafter adjustment of folding table '11 in longitudinal direction thereofto arrest the control units 23:: arranged below the clamping plates 15,after said control units have been precisely adiusted with regard to thereflector plates 41.

in addition thereto, between the control units 28, 23:: below table 111there are provided a photoelectric cell and light source unit 51 each ofwhich serves as preselector (FIGS. 2-6). Said unit is by means of anelectric conductor connected with the other control units 2.8, 284icontrolling the clamping plate 15, in such away that when the laundrypiece 16 moves above the preselector unit 51, the light beam of whichacts through passages El a on reflector plates 41a, the turning on andturning off of the relay 27 for each two or more adjacent clampingplates 15 will be controlled.

FIG. 8 illustrates a circuit diagram showing the connecting linesbetween the control units 28, 28a and the preselector units 51. As willbe evident from said diagram, the zreselector unit 51 is through aconductor 54 connected to the photoelectric cell 2&1 of two or moreadjacent clamping plates i5, while the connecting line 5 is respectivelyconnected to line 27a connected to relay 27. The diagram of FIG. 8 alsoshows that the preselector unit 51 will become active when a laundrypiece 16indicated by dot-dash lines-is to be folded which laundry pieceis only so wide that it merely covers one clamping plate 33y means ofthe preselector unit 51 now also laundry pieces of a width less than twoor three or more adjacent clamping plates may be clamped in.

As illustrated in EEG. 6, the control of relay 27 either for twoadiacent or three adjacent or more clamping plates 15 arranged adjacentto each other in pairs may be actuated by each preselector unit 51,so-called key head. This is made possible by the fact that a pluralityof clamping plates 15 is made effective or ineffective by the key heads51 in the circuit of relay 27. in this way it is possible, as alreadymentioned above, simultaneously to fold either two laundry pieces of thesame size, as for instance bed sheets, a narnow laundry piece, such as atowel, together with a particularly wide bed sheet, or also threelaundry pieces of approximately the same Width, as for instance threetowels.

Also the control units 51 serving as preselectors are adjustableindividually on the transverse beam 47 and in the longitudinal directionof the table. The preselector unit 51 ma be so arranged that only afterafinal advance of the laundry piece 16 onto the clamping plates 15, thefinal switching on and switching off of the relay for the clampingposition will be effected.

FIG. 3 additionally illustrates that ahead of the clamp ing plates 15there is provided an air pressure passage 52 with nozzles 5'3 throughwhich air is blown between the folded laundry pieces in order slightlyto space the superimposed folded portions cf the laundry piece by an aircushion.

The adjust-ability of the transverse beam 43 carrying the control units28, similar to the adjustability of the control units 280, makespossible a precise adjustment of the apparatus. In this way it ispossible precisely to adjust the length of the protruding portions ofthe laundry pieces at the front and end of the laundry piece, evenduring the operation of the apparatus. It is merely necessary to adjustthe control units below table 11 whereby photoelectric cells and lightsources are adjusted together because the refiector plates 35, 41 aremade so long that in each instance a reflection of the respective lightbeams will take place.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawing butalso comprises any modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. A folding apparatus for transversely folding laundry articles, whichcomprises: a folding table provided with a plurality of groups ofpassage means therethrough for the passage of light beams, a pluralityof conveyor means arranged above said table and spaced from each otherin transverse direction thereof for receiving and conveying laundryarticles to be folded, the individual passage means in each said groupof passage means in said table being spaced from each other in thedirection of movement of said conveyor means and being located laterallybetween said conveyor means, a plurality of laterally alignedindependent clamping means respectively arranged above said conveyormeans for temporarily grasping and holding the front portion of thelaundry article to be folded, each said clamping means also beingprovided with passage means therethrough about midway the ends thereoffor the passage of light beams, and aligned with one of the individualpassage means of one of said groups of passage means, a control unitassociated with each of said individual passage means and controllableby laundry articles on said conveyor means in the region of therespective clamping means for controlling the respective one of saidclamping means, said control units being respectively arranged belowsaid passage means in said folding table and between said conveyor andeach including a photoelectric cell and a light source and also atransparent mirror and lens means, and reflector means respectivelyarranged above the said individual passage means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which an additional controlmeans is provided in the region between each two adjacent individualclamping means and operable in response to movement of a laundry pieceinto the said region to cause actuation of both of said adjacentindividual clamping means in response to the detection of a laundrypiece by the control unit of either of the said clamping means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which at least some of thecontrol units below the passage means in said table are adjustable inthe direction of movement of said conveyor means and are arrestable intheir respective adjusted position.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the control units belowthe passage means in said clamping means are individually adjustable inlongitudinal direction of said table.

5. A folding apparatus for transversely folding laundry articles, whichcomprises: a folding table provided with passage means therethrough forthe passage of light beams, a plurality of conveyor means arranged abovesaid table and spaced from each other in transverse direction thereoffor receiving and conveying laundry articles to be folded, said passagemeans in said table being spaced from each other in the direction ofmovement of said conveyor means, a plurality of clamping meansrespectively arranged above said conveyor means for temporarily graspingand holding the front portion of the laundry article to be folded, saidclamping means also being provided with passage means therethrough forthe passage of light beams, a plurality of control units associated withsaid clamping means and controllable by laundry articles on saidconveyor means for controlling said clamping means, said control unitsbeing respectively arranged below said passage means in said foldingtable and between said conveyor means and including a photoelectric celland a light source and also a transparent mirror and lens means, some ofsaid passage means in said table being in alignment with the passagemeans in said clamping means, reflector means respectively arrangedabove the passage means in said table and in said clamping means, andnozzle means connectable to a supply of compressed air and respectivelyarranged near said clamping means for blowing air between foldedportions of a laundry article held by said clamping means for blowingair into the folds.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the photoelectric celland the light source as well as the transparent mirror and the lensmeans of each control unit is mounted in a single housing below thefolding table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,740,627 Woodward et al. Apr. 3, 1956 2,811,350 Cran et a1. Oct. 29,1957 2,949,294 Cran Aug. 16, 1960 3,005,630 Bergman et a1. Oct. 24, 1961FOREIGN PATENTS 706,093 Great Britain Mar. 24, 1954

1. A FOLDING APPARATUS FOR TRANSVERSELY FOLDING LAUNDRY ARTICLES, WHICHCOMPRISES: A FOLDING TABLE PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OFPASSAGE MEANS THERETHROUGH FOR THE PASSAGE OF LIGHT BEAMS, A PLURALITYOF CONVEYOR MEANS ARRANGED ABOVE SAID TABLE AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHERIN TRANSVERSE DIRECTION THEREOF FOR RECEIVING AND CONVEYING LAUNDRYARTICLES TO BE FOLDED, THE INDIVIDUAL PASSAGE MEANS IN EACH SAID GROUPOF PASSAGE MEANS IN SAID TABLE BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER IN THEDIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID CONVEYOR MEANS AND BEING LOCATED LATERALLYBETWEEN SAID CONVEYOR MEANS, A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY ALIGNEDINDEPENDENT CLAMPING MEANS RESPECTIVELY ARRANGED ABOVE SAID CONVEYORMEANS FOR TEMPORARILY GRASPING AND HOLDING THE FRONT PORTION OF THELAUNDRY ARTICLE TO BE FOLDED, EACH SAID CLAMPING MEANS ALSO BEINGPROVIDED WITH PASSAGE MEANS THERETHROUGH ABOUT MIDWAY THE ENDS THEREOFFOR THE PASSAGE OF LIGHT BEAMS, AND ALIGNED WITH ONE OF THE INDIVIDUALPASSAGE MEANS OF ONE OF SAID GROUPS OF PASSAGE MEANS, A CONTROL UNITASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF SAID INDIVIDUAL PASSAGE MEANS AND CONTROLLABLEBY LAUNDRY ARTICLES ON SAID CONVEYOR MEANS IN THE REGION OF THERESPECTIVE CLAMPING MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAIDCLAMPING MEANS, SAID CONTROL UNITS BEING RESPECTIVELY ARRANGED BELOWSAID PASSAGE MEANS IN SAID FOLDING TABLE AND BETWEEN SAID CONVEYOR ANDEACH INCLUDING A PHOTOELECTRIC CELL AND A LIGHT SOURCE AND ALSO ATRANSPARENT MIRROR AND LENS MEANS, AND REFLECTOR MEANS RESPECTIVELYARRANGED ABOVE THE SAID INDIVIDUAL PASSAGE MEANS.